Hannover 2013 – scientific programme

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MO: Fachverband Molekülphysik

MO 29: Collisions and Energy Transfer

MO 29.3: Talk

Friday, March 22, 2013, 11:30–11:45, F 107

Electron Dynamics of Excitation Induced Interatomic Coulombic Decay in Quantum Dots — •Annika Bande, Kirill Gokhberg, and Lorenz S. Cederbaum — Theoretische Chemie, Physikalisch-Chemisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 229, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany

The elementary physical process of interatomic Coulombic decay (ICD) that is recognized as an ultrafast energy transfer process between atoms and molecules induced by long range electron correlation, was shown to be also possible, when electrons are confined in general, non-infinite binding potentials commonly used to model quantum dots (QDs). The electron bound to the left QD potential is radiatively excited to a higher, resonant state, after which the electron deexcites by transferring its energy to the neighboring QD potential well, from which the second electron is emitted via ICD.

Both, the excitation and the decay, were studied by means of electron dynamics in an array of two inverse Gaussian potential wells. The multiconfiguration time-dependent Hartree (MCTDH) method for antisymmetric electronic wave functions was utilized. Excitations with continuous and pulsed electric fields and with different radiation intensities were compared and the decay widths of the resonance was found to be in good agreement for the different approaches.

Besides being a tentative fundamental research topic, the realization of ICD in QDs may have important practical consequences for example in the design of infrared photodetectors.